Cory Gunz Readies New EP, Has 'Some Stuff In The Works' With Lil Wayne

Cory Gunz has been “next up” in the New York rap scene since he was just a freshmen in high school. But things are looking bright for the 25-year-old MC in 2010. His much publicized deal with Young Money/Cash Money has been finalized and his major label debut is ready for release.

“The name of the EP is God Forgives, I Don’t. It’s ready but I wanted to make sure I could put the project out properly,” Cory told VIBE recently from his home studio. “I’m not trying to flood the market and oversaturate myself. So I’m taking long to keep building the anticipation for this one. With my new situation at Young Money/Cash Money, I felt these songs were too valuable to give away on a mixtape."

Gunz, the son of New York rapper Peter Gunz, also has his core fanbase covered and promised some new concept tapes strictly for the streets. “I haven’t forgotten about my mixtape soldiers. You can also be on the lookout for a '90s mixtape, [which] I’d love to get Mr. Cee on,” explained Cory. “It would be an honor to get his direction. I also got a mixtape called Guns and Euros. I’m trying to push that internationally with my producer Soulfly from France."

Building his buzz from a flurry of mixtape releases, Cory started receiving national recognition in ’05 when his The Apprentice mixtape series caught a blaze on the online hip-hop forums and blogs. After just a few years in the underground, his rapid-fire delivery and precise lyrical engineering drew the interest of music mogul Tommy Mottola who signed the then teenager to his first major deal on his ill-fated Casablanca Records. However, after sitting on the shelf, leaving his career at a standstill, Gunz eventually left for greener pastures and received some assistance from the Carter Administration. But even Jay-Z failed to deliver a debut album for the young rhymesayer.

Often criticized for his lack of collaborations, Gunz explained that his hesitation in teaming up with other artists stems from his desire to keep his music innovative, “I always want to step outside the box when I do collaborations. Just know that I got some stuff in the works with Weezy when he comes home,” says Cory of the currently incarcerated Lil Wayne. “People always ask why I don’t do songs with too many people, but I just want sure if I work with someone we do something that never would be expected.”

In addition to new music, Cory’s major network TV show produced by Nick Cannon is set to air later this fall. While many have labeled the project a reality show, the star of the program dismissed the notion.

“My TV show is definitely coming out this year. It’s called Son of a Gun and should be out by October or November. Basically, it’s about my upbringing in this industry, all my trials and tribulations. I actually don’t want to call it a reality show. It’s just an inside look into my journey in the music industry.” —Mikey Fresh